Maestro, noun: “A great or distinguished figure in any sphere.” Bruno Sacco was both great and distinguished in the field of automotive design, helping to create a period of dominance at Mercedes-Benz that lasted no less than four decades. From 1974 until 1999, he held the titles of Head of Styling and Head of Design. Sadly, Maestro Sacco passed away on September 19th of this year, but he helped create a legacy that will live on for centuries.
A Word from Mercedes-Benz
In a press release, Marcus Breitschwerdt, CEO of Mercedes‑Benz Heritage GmbH, would say, “Mercedes‑Benz will always remember this extraordinary stylist and yet humble person. “Bruno Sacco has defined the shape of numerous icons from Mercedes‑Benz. Many of them are still seen today in everyday road traffic, or they fascinate as classics of the brand.”
Bruno’s Design Ethos Was Simple
Bruno started working in the styling department at Mercedes-Benz in 1958. Within a short period of time, he got the ball rolling on some of the most iconic cars in automotive history, and that is not hyperbole. Sacco famously said, “A Mercedes-Benz must look like a Mercedes-Benz," and believed, fundamentally, that a new Mercedes must never make the previous model look old. This is why each new model never makes the previous look outdated. An S-Class from 2015 still looks modern and ultra-luxurious next to any vehicle on the road today, including a new Mercedes-Benz.
Two Design Principles That Still Lead Mercedes-Benz Today
Mr. Sacco held two main design principles: Horizontal Affinity and Vertical Affinity. Horizontal Affinity means that a brand needs a design ethos that spans the entire range of vehicles. Vertical Affinity simply means that a design must always be timeless, which lends to his belief that a new model must never overshadow the outgoing one. Below are some of the more important cars Bruno worked on during his illustrious career at Mercedes-Benz.
C 111 Concept
Mercedes-Benz has always been known for leading the industry in tech, especially when it comes to safety and design. Bruno Sacco’s first major job was as part of the C 111 project, which was a Wedge style that was very specific to early supercar designs of the 1960s and ‘70s and even into the ‘90s. The C 111 concept car was an early tester of modern features we take for granted, such as Anti-Lock Brakes (ABS), turbochargers, and polymer body panels, which are used today as plastic panels, such as bumpers, fenders, etc. They are easy to replace and can also be easily shaped for design and strip weight from the vehicle.
W123, W124, and W210
What Bruno ended up working on next were cars that literally shaped the entire world and, in some cases, actual economies. When he became the Head of Styling, he was tasked with creating a mid-size sedan that would be stylish and still look good with two doors, four, or as a full-on wagon. Enter the W123 from 1977 to 1986. The W123 became the best-selling Mercedes in history, with more than 2.7 million sold, many of which are still on the road today. Europe and Africa used them extensively as taxis, with many African countries still relying on the W123 as reliable transportation even now. The replacement to the W123 was the W124, which debuted in 1986 and would become what buyers now truly associate with the E-Class. It took everything great about its predecessor, turning luxury and safety up a notch. Buyers couldn’t get enough. Later, Bruno would utilize computers to help him design the W210 E-Class from 1996 until 2003, which became iconic for ‘90s buyers thanks to its distinct quad-circular headlights and excellent engines.
W126, W140, and W220
Thanks to the success of the W123, Mercedes-Benz had Sacco take a crack at quite possibly the most important car to Mercedes-Benz, at least here in America, the W126 S-Class. The W126 S debuted in the States in 1981 and was still innovating when it bowed out in 1991. It wasn’t the first car with ABS. However, it was the first car with ABS that always worked when you slammed on the brakes. It was also one of the first cars with a driver airbag and a seatbelt pretensioner system that would lock the seatbelt so that you didn’t slam into the dashboard, which in turn made the use of an airbag even safer. Later, he would go on to design the W140 that replaced the W126, and then the W220 S-Class that re-wrote the book on modern luxury in a four-door package. The W220 would become Sacco’s final design before retiring in 1999.
W210 and W208
Before retiring and before the ultra-success of the W220, Sacco hit another home run with the W208 CLK, which was a little bit C-Class and a little bit E-Class. The design used the same front-end styling as the W210 E-Class, with some other proportional similarities. This led to the craze of luxury sport coupes and convertibles of the late ‘90s and early 2000s.
W201
With the use of Horizontal Affinity, Sacco designed the W201 for Mercedes-Benz, which we know as the C-Class. It would become one of the best sport sedans in the world to compete against the BMW 3-Series, especially in Touring Car racing. When America got the W201 in 1984, buyers loved that it looked just like a W123 and W124, just in a smaller package that was more affordable with no less luxury or amenities.
R129
One of Bruno Sacco’s other iconic designs, the R129 SL from 1990 to 2001, aimed not to disrupt the past success of the R107 SL, which was in production from 1971 until 1989. With his Vertical Affinity belief, the new SL would become completely unique, while the previous generation became a timeless classic in the eyes of many. As a soft-top-only convertible with a hardtop that could be put on the car, the R129 SL had the looks of the larger Mercedes models but was still very special to look at and drive.
Farewell, Maestro
Bruno Sacco was an innovator of design who helped make Mercedes-Benz an icon among luxury vehicles. He set the standards high for the seamless style themes and technological advancements customers have come to see as synonymous with the brand. He established a legacy that the brand will always strive to uphold.
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